Congress Leader Says Candidates From Other Religions Should Also Be Fielded in League Seats in Upcoming Election

Thiruvananthapuram: A letter written by KPCC secretary D V Vinod Krishna to senior leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League has sparked discussion about seat allocation and representation in UDF.

In the letter addressed to P K Kunhalikutty and other League leaders, Vinod Krishna argued that candidates belonging to the Muslim community alone are usually fielded in constituencies allotted to the League within the UDF. He said this practice denies opportunities to talented members of the Muslim community who are part of the Indian National Congress.

The letter proposes that at least 25 percent of the seats allotted to the Muslim League should be given to candidates from other communities who work within the party. According to Vinod Krishna, the Congress contests in fewer than one hundred constituencies in Kerala, and therefore has limited opportunities to field Muslim candidates, possibly in fewer than ten seats.

He also suggested that the Muslim League should move away from the framework of a religious-based political party and function more as a secular political organisation. The letter further alleged that the League sometimes fields candidates from other communities in reserved seats in local body elections, anticipating that those seats might later become general seats in subsequent elections.

Vinod Krishna described such practices as inappropriate for a political party and claimed that League candidates often win with support from voters belonging to multiple religious communities. Copies of the letter were also sent to KPCC President and the Opposition leader as well.